Known bearing assemblies used on a propellor of a ship are typically mounted on a shaft having several raised cylindrical portions which serve as bearing seats for a double-row spherical roller bearing and for the shaft washer of a spherical roller thrust bearing. The spherical roller bearing is mounted directly on the raised cylindrical shaft with a close fit, whereas the shaft washer of the spherical roller thrust bearing is mounted on another such raised portion, usually with a looser fit than the spherical roller bearing. Mechanisms are also provided which, from the outside, urge the housing washer and the set of rollers against the shaft washer. To obtain a correct distance between the two bearings, a spacing ring has been used. The spacing ring is positioned in a deeper portion of the shaft between the two bearing seats, and for this reason the spacing ring has to be split.
The shaft provided with several such raised portions requires a time-wasting and expensive machining during manufacture of the shaft. Problems also arise during mounting and especially at dismounting of such a bearing assembly. The complex structural design means that dismounting requires many different tools and aids. At the same time, the bearing exchange and over-hauling must often be effected during hard working conditions in the ship.
In light of the foregoing, a need exists for a thrust bearing assembly, such as a propellor thrust bearing assembly, and a method of mounting such a bearing assembly that are not susceptible to the same disadvantages and drawbacks as other known thrust bearing assemblies and mounting methods.